Fuel pump with filter-absent safety valve and universal inlet and outlet

ABSTRACT

Fuel pump  10  includes a filter  42  that rests on ledge  48 , between the pump housing  12  and inlet cap  56 . Filter detector  50  has a valve engager stem  62  for opening the check valve  58  and bearing feet  52  that engage the perimeter of the filter but the bearing feet are out of alignment with the ledge. When the filter is absent from the pump, the bearing feet  52  of the valve engager move beyond the ledge  48  and the valve engager stem  62  retracts from the check valve  58  and the valve closes to terminate flow of fuel to the pump, thus limiting the fuel that can escape from then pump when it is opened. At least one of the inlet and outlet caps  56  and  76  are rotatably mounted to the intermediate body of the pump to allow the fuel inlet and outlet to be oriented at angular intervals about the pump to facilitate the connection of fuel lines to the pump.

CROSS REFERENCE

Applicant claims the benefit of Provisional Application No. 60/422,809,filed on Oct. 31, 2002.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention concerns a fuel pump for an automobile, for feedinggasoline from the storage tank of the vehicle to the internal combustionengine. More particularly, the invention concerns a cut-off valve forterminating the flow of fuel from the storage tank when the fuel pump isopened, as when the filter is being inspected or replaced. Also, theinvention concerns a fuel pump housing that has end caps that can berotated with respect to the housing to facilitate axial or radialconnection of the fuel lines to the pump.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

High performance cars of the type used for drag racing, track racing,etc. require that the parts used be versatile and reliable. Typically,cars are frequently worked on by their owners so as to obtain thehighest possible performance of the vehicles. In some instances, whenthe parts are interchanged, the new combination of parts will notnecessarily fit together in a compatible relationship in the small areasabout the vehicle. Therefore, it is desirable that the parts have someadjustments built into their designs so that the mounts, inlets andoutlets and other features can be reoriented to face away from adjacentparts.

In addition, when the fuel pump of an engine is to be temporarilydisconnected for replacement or inspection of the internal filter, thetypical prior art fuel pump and fuel line are filled with fuel and thefuel tends to pour out of the fuel line through the fuel pump until thefuel line is empty or the fuel pump is reassembled. This is a hazardoussituation and is inconvenient for the worker to collect the runoff fuel.

Also, when the fuel pump has been disconnected and its filter removed,it is possible to inadvertently reconnect the fuel pump to the fuel linewithout having the filter replaced in the pump.

This invention is directed to the above noted features.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Briefly described, the present invention concerns a fuel pump for aninternal combustion engine that has end caps that are universal, in thatthey can be rotated on the body of the fuel pump so as to reorient theangle at which the fuel lines connect to the ends of the fuel pump.

In addition, the embodiment of the fuel pump includes a check valvepositioned at the inlet end of the pump housing, and a filter detectoris positioned between the check valve and the filter. The filterdetector includes a valve engager for extending toward the check valveand engaging and urging the check valve toward its open position againstthe pressure of the fuel coming from the tank, and a filter engager forengaging the fuel filter. In response to the filter being presentbetween the pump and the check valve, the filter detector engages andopens the check valve, allowing fuel to flow through the fuel pump.

The arrangement is such that once the fuel pump housing is opened forthe purpose of removing or inspecting the fuel filter, the filterdetector moves away from the check valve, allowing the check valve toclose. This stops the leakage of fuel from the fuel line. Once thefilter has been replaced or inspected, and the fuel pump housing is tobe closed up, the parts are moved together and tightened, causing thefilter detector to reengage the check valve and open it, allowing accessof the fuel to the fuel pump, so that the fuel pump can functionnormally.

The fuel pump utilizes a small pump, such as a ring gear pump thatincludes inner and outer axially offset rotor rings with the inner ringhaving radially outwardly extending lobes received in the radiallyoutwardly extending lobe recesses of the outer ring, so that therotation imparted to one of the rings the other ring also rotates. Sincethere are fewer lobes on the inner ring than there are lobe recesses onthe outer ring, the rotation of the inner and outer rings causes asuction on one side of the assembly and a pressure on the other side ofthe assembly, inducing a positive displacement of the fuel movingthrough the pump. This creates a stream of fuel that flows axiallythrough the inlet end, the check valve, the filter, about the motor, andthrough the outlet end, to be delivered to the fuel injectors orcarburetor that meters the fuel to the cylinders of the engine. Othertypes of pumps can be used for this invention, if desired.

Thus, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved fuel pumpfor an internal combustion engine, which includes a safety valve forclosing the flow of fuel through the pump when the pump housing isopened.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved fuel pumpthat includes a filter-absent safety valve and a universal fuel lineconnection on at least one of its ends to facilitate the connection offuel lines at convenient angles to the fuel pump.

Another object of this invention is to provide a lightweight; compactfuel pump for an internal combustion engine, whereby access to and useof the fuel pump is improved.

Other objects, features and advantages of this invention will becomeapparent upon reading the following specification when taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top view, in cross section, of the fuel pump assembly.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the fuel pump.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the fuel pump.

FIG. 4 is an end view of the fuel pump, taken from the left end of FIG.3.

FIG. 5 is an end view of the fuel pump, taken from the right end of FIG.3.

FIG. 6 illustrates the ring gear pump, showing the inner and outer rotorrings that rotate and induce the stream of fuel through the fuel pumpassembly.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of the inlet end of the fuel pump assembly.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the filter dector.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now in more detail to the drawings in which like numeralsindicate like parts throughout the several views, FIG. 1 illustrates atop cross sectional view of the fuel pump assembly 10 which includes atubular motor housing 12 having an inlet end 14 and an outlet end 16.Motor 18 is positioned in the housing, with its drive shaft 20 extendingtoward the inlet end 14. Pump housing 22 is mounted at the inlet end 14of the motor housing 12. Pump housing includes pump cavity 24, with thepump cavity being aligned with motor 18. Ring gear pump 26 is mounted inpump cavity 24.

As shown in FIG. 6, ring gear pump 26 includes an outer drive ring 28and an inner driven ring 30. The outer drive ring 28 is rotated by motor18 and the outer drive ring engages and drives the inner driven ring 30.

The outer drive ring includes a plurality of inwardly facing loberecesses 32 at equally circumferentially spaced intervals about theouter ring. The inner ring 30 includes a plurality of outwardly facinglobes 34 also at equally circumferentially spaced intervals about theinner ring that project outwardly into the lobe recesses 32. There aremore lobe recesses 32 than there are lobes 34, the lobes are smallerthan the lobe recesses and the inner ring has its axis of rotation offset from the axis of rotation of the outer ring. This arrangement leavessome of the space in the lobe recesses 32 unoccupied as the inner andouter rings rotate together. An inlet port 36 is formed on an end plateadjacent the inner and outer rings, and an outlet port 38 is formed onthe other side of the inner ring, on the opposite end plate. With thisarrangement, rotation of the rings induces a low pressure on one side ofthe inner ring and a high pressure on the other side of the inner ring,creating a stream of fuel from the inlet end 14 through the outlet end16 of the tubular motor housing 12.

A filter cavity 40 is formed upstream of the ring gear pump 26. A diskshaped filter 42 is positioned in the filter cavity 40. Filter 42includes a layer of porous material 44 at the center of the disk shape,and a rigid perimeter frame 46 that surrounds the porous filter material44.

The filter cavity 40 includes an annular ledge 48 that is concentricwith the housing 12, and the rigid perimeter filter frame 46 is sizedand shaped to fit against the annular ledge 48. This orients the layerof porous filter material 44 transverse to the stream of fuel that is tomove through the motor housing 12.

Filter detector 50 is mounted in the pump housing 12. Filter detector 50includes a filter engager in the form of bearing feet 52 that extend toa lateral breadth that is slightly less than the outer breadth of therigid perimeter filter frame 46, and is aligned with recess 54 on theopposite side of the filter frame 46. The bearing feet 52 can be movedinto the recess 54 when the filter 42 is absent from the pump, as whenthe filter has been removed for replacement or inspection. However, whenthere is a filter 42 present in the position illustrated in thedrawings, bearing feet 52 cannot move beyond the rigid perimeter filterframe 46, and must stay in the position illustrated.

Inlet end cap 56 is mounted to pump housing 22. End cap 56 includes acheck valve 58 that is movable axially of the pump assembly, from theposition illustrated in FIG. 7 to a position where it bears against avalve seat 60.

Filter detector 50 also includes at its end opposite to the filterengager a valve engager 62. The valve engager is aligned with checkvalve 58. Valve engager is in the form of a stem that is movable withfilter detector 50 and functions to engage and open the valve 58 withrespect to its valve seat 60 when a filter 42 is positioned as shown inFIG. 7. However, when the filter 42 is absent from the fuel pumpassembly, the filter detector 50 is free to move its bearing feet 52into the recess 54, whereupon the valve engager stem 62 no longer holdsthe valve 58 off of its valve seat 60. This allows the pressure of thefuel in the line to push the valve 58 toward a closed relationship withrespect to its valve seat 60, thereby terminating the flow of fuel tothe fuel pump.

The filter detector 50 also includes alignment pegs 64 that extentopposite to feet 52 that register with alignment recesses 65 of inletend cap 56. The alignment pegs slidably register with the alignmentrecesses to hold the bearing feet in alignment with the perimeter flangeof the filter.

With this arrangement, when the fuel pump is opened for inspection orreplacement of the filter 42, the flow of fuel to the fuel pump will beterminated. Also, when a filter is replaced in the filter cavity 40 inthe manner as illustrated in FIG. 7, with its rigid perimeter filterframe 46 properly seated against the annular ledge 48, the re-assemblyof the pump, by mounting the inlet end cap 56 to the pump housing 22,will cause the filter detector 50 to again open the valve 58, by movingthe valve away from its valve seat 60.

Inlet end cap 56 includes an axial fuel inlet opening 66 and a radialfuel inlet opening 68. A fuel conduit (not shown) can be connected toone of the inlet openings and a plug 70 can be used to block the otheropening 66 or 68. The inlet end cap 56 is fastened to the pump housing22 by screws such as screws 70 of FIG. 4. The screws 70 and theirthreaded bores are located in a square array so that the inlet end cap56 can be oriented at any one of the 90° positions with respect to thepump assembly. With this arrangement, the radial fuel inlet opening 68can be oriented upwardly as illustrated in FIG. 7, to the rear or to thefront, or downwardly. This allows the pump to be mounted in apredetermined position by means of bolting its support legs 72 to anassociated mounting structure, and the inlet end cap 56 can be orientedso as to direct the radial fuel inlet opening in any one of the fourpositions available. This permits the fuel line to be connected at anyone of the 90° positions. In the alternative, the fuel line can beconnected to the axial opening 66, if desired.

Likewise, outlet end cap 76 (FIG. 1) is mounted in a similar manner,with the connector screws and their openings arranged in a square array,so that the outlet end cap can be rotated at 90° intervals with respectto the tubular motor housing 12. Also, the outlet end cap 76 includesaxial fuel outlet opening 78 and radial fuel outlet opening 80, with aplug 82 that can be used to block either one of the openings. With thisarrangement, the outlet end cap 76 can be oriented at any one of the 90°positions so as to connect the fuel line (not shown) to the radial fueloutlet opening 80. Or, the fuel conduit can be connected to the axialfuel outlet opening 78, if desired.

In this embodiment of the invention no spring has been disclosed forurging the check valve 58 toward its valve seat 60, since the pressureof the oncoming fuel is expected to move the valve toward engagementwith its valve seat. However, a spring can be used to facilitate thisvalve closing movement, if desired.

It will be noted that the configuration of the filter detector 50 issuch that it engages only the rigid perimeter filter frame 46, not thelayer of porous filter material 44, therefore avoiding damage of thefilter material. In addition, the bearing feet 52 engage the rigidperimeter filter frame 46 closely adjacent the annular ledge 48, so thatthere is virtually no likelihood of damage to the rigid perimeter filterframe upon assembly of the fuel pump, as by the operator attempting toforce a misfit of the inlet end cap 56 against the pump housing 22.

The pump 26 is disclosed as a ring gear pump; however, pumps of othertypes can be used in the environment of the fuel pump assembly, such assliding vane pumps, roller vane pumps, and other compact rotary pumps.

Although a preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed indetail herein, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art thatvariations and modifications of the disclosed embodiment can be madewithout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as setforth in the following claims.

1. A fuel pump for a combustion engine of a self propelled vehicle,comprising: a tubular motor housing having opposed inlet and outletends, a motor in said housing, a pump at said inlet end of said housing,said pump in driven relationship with said motor for moving fuel in astream from the inlet end of said motor housing, through said motorhousing and out of said outlet end of said motor housing, a filter atsaid inlet end of said motor housing up stream of said pump configuredfor filtering fuel moving in the stream toward said pump, said filterhaving a rigid perimeter, a check valve at said inlet end of said motorhousing up stream of said filter for reducing the stream of fuel movingthrough said motor housing to said filter, and a filter detectorpositioned between said check valve and said filter, said filterdetector including a valve engager for extending toward said check valveand urging said check valve toward its open position and a filterengager for engaging said perimeter of said filter, whereby in responseto a filter being present between said pump and said check valve, saidfilter detector opens said check valve.
 2. The fuel pump of claim 1,wherein said pump is a ring gear pump.
 3. A fuel pump for a combustionengine of a self propelled vehicle, comprising: a housing having a fuelinlet and a fuel outlet, a pump in said housing for moving fuel in astream from the fuel inlet and out of said outlet, a filter at saidinlet of said housing up stream of said pump configured for filteringfuel moving in the stream toward said pump, a check valve at said inletof said housing up stream of said filter for terminating the stream offuel moving through said housing to said filter, and a filter detectorpositioned between said check valve and said filter, said filterdetector including a valve engager for extending toward said check valveand urging said check valve toward its open position and a filterengager for engaging said filter, whereby in response to a filter beingpresent between said pump and said check valve the filter engager of thefilter detector engages the filter and the valve engager of the filterdetector engages and opens the check valve, and in response to a filternot being present between the pump and the check valve the filterengager of the filter detector does not engage the filter and the valveengager of the filter detector does not engage and open the check valve.4. The fuel pump of claim 3, wherein said filter includes a perimeter,and said filter engager of said filter detector is configured to engagesaid perimeter.
 5. The fuel pump of claim 4, wherein said filterdetector is configured to engage said perimeter of said filter at morethan one position about said perimeter.
 6. The fuel pump of claim 5,wherein said housing defines recesses, and said filter detector includesbearing feet aligned with and movable into said recesses, and saidfilter positioned in said housing to block the movement of said bearingfeet into said recesses.
 7. The fuel pump of claim 6, wherein saidhousing defines guide recesses, and said filter detector includes guidepegs movable into said guide recesses for guiding said filter detectortoward said check valve.
 8. The fuel pump of claim 3, wherein saidfilter detector is H-shaped with a fuel passage formed in the cross barof the H-shape.
 9. The fuel pump of claim 3, wherein said filterdetector is H-shaped, and said valve engager of said filter detectorincludes a valve stem carried by the cross bar of said H-shape.
 10. Thefuel pump of claim 3, wherein said housing includes an elongatedintermediate housing having opposed ends, an inlet end cap mounted toone end of said housing and an outlet end cap mounted to the other endof said housing, said fuel inlet extending radially through said inletend cap, and said inlet end cap and said intermediate housing beingconfigured for mounting said inlet end cap at intervals of rotationabout said intermediate housing for orienting said inlet at selectedpositions about said housing.
 11. The fuel pump of claim 3, wherein saidhousing includes an elongated intermediate housing having opposed ends,an inlet end cap mounted to one end of said housing and an outlet endcap mounted to the other end of said housing, said fuel outlet extendingradially through said outlet end cap, and said outlet end cap and saidintermediate housing being configured for mounting said outlet end capat intervals of rotation about said intermediate housing for orientingsaid fuel outlet at selected positions about said housing.
 12. The fuelpump of claim 3, and further including a motor in said housing foroperating said pump.
 13. A fuel pump for a combustion engine of a selfpropelled vehicle, comprising: a housing, a fuel pump in said housing,an inlet end cap mounted to said housing, a fuel inlet extending throughsaid inlet end cap, an inlet check valve in said inlet end cap forterminating flow of fuel into said housing, a ledge formed on saidhousing facing said inlet end cap, a filter positioned between saidhousing and said inlet end cap and having a perimeter engaging saidledge, with said inlet cap configured to urge said filter perimeteragainst said ledge, a filter detector positioned in said inlet end capand including a filter engager in alignment with said perimeter of saidfilter for engaging said filter perimeter and a valve engager inalignment with said inlet check valve for engaging said inlet checkvalve and opening the flow of fuel through said fuel inlet cap, wherebyin response to a filter being present between the housing and the inletend cap the filter engager of the filter detector engages the filter andthe valve engager of the filter detector engages and opens the inletcheck valve, and in response to the filter not being present between thehousing and the inlet end cap the filter engager of the filter detectordoes not engage the filter and moves away from the inlet check valve andthe filter detector does not open the inlet check valve.
 14. The fuelpump of claim 13, wherein said inlet end cap and said housing areconfigured for mounting said inlet end cap at intervals of rotationabout said housing.
 15. A fuel pump for a combustion engine of a selfpropelled vehicle, comprising: a housing, a fuel pump in said housing,an inlet end cap mounted to said housing, a fuel inlet extending throughsaid inlet end cap, an inlet check valve in said inlet end cap forterminating flow of fuel into said housing, a ledge formed on saidhousing facing said inlet end cap, a filter positioned between saidhousing and said inlet end cap and having a perimeter engaging saidledge, with said inlet cap configured to urge said filter perimeteragainst said ledge, a filter detector positioned in said inlet end capand including a filter engager out of alignment with said ledge and inalignment with said perimeter of said filter for engaging said filterperimeter and a valve engager in alignment with said inlet check valvefor engaging said inlet check valve and opening the flow of fuel throughsaid fuel inlet cap, whereby in response to a filter being presentbetween housing and said inlet end cap the filter engager of the filterdetector engages the filter and the valve engager of the filter detectorengages and opens the inlet check valve, and in response to the filternot being present between the housing and the inlet end cap the filterengager of the filter detector does not engage the filter and movesbeyond the ledge of the housing and the valve engager of the filterdetector does not open the inlet check valve.